Degree Requirements

The Ph.D. is awarded only upon sufficient evidence of high attainment in scholarship and the demonstrated ability to engage in independent research in the field of chemical and biochemical engineering. It is not awarded for the completion of course and seminar requirements, no matter how successfully completed. A minimum of 27 credit hours of coursework, approved by the program, are required. Appropriate courses taken while earning the M.S. degree from the program may be used to partially fulfill this requirement. A maximum of three credit hours of ENCH 648, Special Problems may be used in fulfilling this requirement. Courses taken to fulfill the requirements of the program must be approved in advance by the chemical engineering graduate program director and by the student’s advisor, if one has been selected. All Ph.D. candidates are required to take four required graduate course covering topics in advanced mathematics, kinetics, thermodynamics and transport phenomena. Students are required to pass an oral qualifying examination, a proposal exam, and a final dissertation defense. The examinations are given annually, and the student has two opportunities to pass each examination. Additional requirements are imposed by the Graduate School.